


Late

by iloveitblue



Series: Prompts [182]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-20
Updated: 2015-02-20
Packaged: 2018-03-13 23:03:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3399548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iloveitblue/pseuds/iloveitblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one where they meet again after 30 years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Late

"I’m not handling him." Phil Coulson storms into Fury’s office, dropping a folder on his desk.

"Why Coulson. It’s a pleasure to hear from you again. Come in, Have a seat. It’s not like we have protocol or anything." Fury says in a deadpan tone before looking up with one eyebrow raised.

"I’m not handling him." Phil repeats.

Fury sighs and takes the folder in his hands to look it over. “Why not? You and Barton would make the perfect team.”

"I can’t. I have personal connections with Barton. I might become biased if I handle him." Phil says with confidence.

"A… Personal connection?" Fury asks, clearly still not taking the bait.

"We were school mates before."

"I see." Fury closes the folder and clasps his hands together. "And how long ago was this?"

Phil was reluctant to answer for a few seconds, “30 years ago.”

Fury gave Phil the driest stare Phil has seen from the man. “Phil, if its been that long, I doubt any ‘connection’ there ever was between you two is now severed.”

 _You have no idea,_  Phil doesn’t say, instead he wordlessly picks the folder back up and leaves.

—-

Phil takes a deep breath in and enters the range as quietly as he can. The first and only person he sees is Clint, destroying the target, showering it with arrow after arrow. 

He waits until Clint has his stance down before he clears his throat. Clint immediately looks at him, defenses high - probably not used to being sneaked up on - before his face morphs into that of surprise.

"Phil? Phil Coulson? Is that you?" He pads toward Phil and beams. "It is you!" He hugs Phil for a good amount of time but when Phil doesn’t hug back, he relinquishes his grip. "Sorry, you probably don’t remember who I am. I’m-"

"Clinton Francis Barton." Phil answers for him in his blandest voice. "I remember you. We were in Elementary School together." 

"Yeah!" Clint nods enthusiastically. "God, How long has it been? I haven’t seen you in so long! Who knew we’d both end up here, huh? So what are you working at SHIELD as?" Clint fires question after question, excited to see his old friend.

"That’s what I’m here for actually. I’m here to give you your assignments. I will be your handler for the foreseeable future. I do not and will not tolerate insubordination and if you think I will give you leeway just because we went to the same Elementary together, you are horribly mistaken." Phil says crisply. He hands Barton a folder and continues, "The folder has everything you need to know about your mission. If you have any questions, you can drop by my office. I expect you to be mission-ready at 0500H. Am I understood?"

Clint glanced down at the folder in his hands then at the man in front of him before he gave him a curt nod. Phil nodded back before leaving Clint to his own devices.

—-

The mission had gone off without a hitch. And the one after that. And the one after that. Phil and Clint were an unstoppable team, rivaled only by Fury and Hill. 

Most of the time when they were in HQ, Clint didn’t speak to him unless he was spoken to. But during missions, Clint was as talkative as Phil remembered. Phil lets him. It wasn’t like anybody else was there to talk to him and Clint knew when to actually keep his mouth shut. 

Usually Clint talked about things that happened in the mess or in the office. Gossip and hearsay. Phil usually responds with a grunt or, if the story was particularly funny, a soft chuckle. 

"-and then Johnson shrugs it off, like he didn’t just put a price on his head. I mean, even I know there are unspoken rules in SHIELD and one of them is ‘not to piss off Melinda May’. That’s right below ‘Don’t talk to Coulson before his morning coffee’, by the way."

Phil chuckles at that. Was that why he’s been receiving less and less annoyances in the morning? Not that he was complaining. 

"I like it when you laugh." Clint says out of nowhere. "You should probably laugh more. You laughed more when we were kids."

Phil freezes in his seat. Clint can’t see him right now, thank god, but that sort of just made Phil feel more embarrassed - that Clint still had the same effect on him after 30 long years. “Radio Silence, Barton.” Phil says instead.

"Why? Why do you keep doing this?" Clint asks him, his voice on edge. "Every time I bring up the past, you shut me off. I-"

"Barton."

"Yeah. I see him. Don’t think this conversation is over, though." There was glorious silence for a beat then, "Mission Accomplished, sir."

—-

Clint follows Phil to his office even after Phil dismissed him. Phil resigned, and let Barton do whatever it is he’s trying to achieve. When Phil finally reached his office, he turned to Clint. 

"Do you need something?"

"I need to talk to you." Clint answers him, "In private."

Phil grits his teeth before he enters his office, leaving the door open for Clint to follow. Clint closes the door and locks it behind him. 

"What did I do?" Clint asks, cutting straight to the point. "Why do you act like you hate me so much? Like we were never friends? I get that you don’t want to show favoritism or some shit like that when we’re in public but when its just the two of us, you can’t even smile at me?"

"Why should I?" Phil asks back. "Why should I smile at you? Why should I act like we’re friends again? Why Clint? Why shouldn’t I hate you?" 

"Because we were friends!"

” _Were._ We  _were_  friends. Until you left me to go and be Mr. Popular. Remember that?” Phil was never this petty, but given that this was the first time he’s actually talked about this with anyone aside from his mother, he figures his actions could be excused.

"I- That was-" Clint stammers with wide eyes. 

"That’s what I thought. Now if you’ll excuse me, Agent-"

"I’m gay." Clint blurts out. Phil stares at him and says nothing, so Clint continues. "That time you’re talking about, that wasn’t me leaving you for popularity. That was me distancing myself from my first crush." Somewhere between coming out of the closet and admitting that Phil - _Phil-_  was his first crush, Clint’s ears had gone red.

Phil ignored the pounding in his ears and convinced himself that Clint was too late -  _30 years too late.-_ but somehow, he couldn’t stop his hands from shaking. “Why didn’t you just tell me?” He asks.

"I was- I was a kid. As soon as I realized that I wanted you more than a normal friend would, I panicked and I ran away. I was scared. I wasn’t brave enough to see how you’d react. I was afraid that you’d mock me. I was afraid that you’d leave me."

"So instead, you chose to leave me."

Clint nods. “You didn’t need me, Phil. You’re amazing all on your own. If anything, I was holding you back. I just-” Clint’s words were cut off when Phil pressed his lips against his. It took Clint a second to catch up with what was going on, but as soon as he did, he kissed back, snaking his arms around Phil’s waist and pulling him closer. 

"You’re an idiot." Phil mutters when they break apart.

"I know." Clint smiles at him.

"You’re also 30 years late."

"I know." 

"What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Better late than never" Clint answers with a grin.

Phil rolls his eyes and finally,  _finally,_  smiles at Clint.

**Author's Note:**

> [Here on tumblr](http://promptmephlint.tumblr.com/post/111576179811/welp-i-finished-sewing-my-cape-hood-thing-for)


End file.
